So I’m going to give a few races a go this autumn & winter.

I’m happy to work within my own fitness limitations and I will only be racing me.

I have a couple of bikes that I could use – all equally unsuitable for a variety of reasons.

That said my Skookum is probably the least “trailsy” and a posible starting ground.

The only change to the bike from this pic is some Magura Louise carbon brakes:

Its currently a dedicated SS with a wonderfully heavy duty Hope SS rear hub that would need swapping out and some for the look wire bead skinwalls.

Clearly wheels would need addressing and the addition of 1xX gears but for the want of a better expression am I polishing a turd starting with a heavyish steel frame?

I do think I would struggle to get close to sub 25lb 😳

I appreciate that anything I buy (possible exception the front wheel) could be used on another racier build if the concept works and I could swap stuff over to a new frame.

So where would you start?

Clean sheet of paper or work with what I have.

Kit recommendations would be welcome especially around wheels.

Cheers,

Mark

The only real benefit to upgrading that will be in your head, if you can get round that then you’ve saved ££££.

If you need it to feel lighter/faster then tyres and rims are no. 1. Saving weight elsewhere gets expensive and is less noticeable.

FWIW I race on a steel frame as well and that comes out as around 10.5kg (~23lbs in archaic units) and I reckon I can get it below 10kg with some careful purchases.

Wheels is definitely a good place to start, crests on your hub of choice is always a good bet. Finishing kit can be surprisingly heavy, mt zoom and kcnc are a good place to start.

@everyone ….. got a pic for some inspiration 😉

FWIW any racing I do is on a 4lb steel HT frame with 2005 Revelations. I don’t think it’s very light, not weighed it in a while.

Hub of your choice on light bicycle rims, schwalbe careful Colin’s, Mr zoom carbon bar, swap your saddle and post out for I beam version. Make a spreadsheet with all the parts and weights, same with replacements £1 per gram seems to be seen as good value !

Don’t get me wrong I’ve done the weight weenie thing before and it wasn’t for me:

This got down to about 17lbs IIRC and was horrible to ride!

Sensibly light is what I’m look for I guess.

Anyone have any thoughts on Crests Vs Hopes Tech XC rim?

Neither, Light Bicycle carbon rims are lighter and stiffer, which is more important on a 29er wheelset.

One racey steel hardtail coming right up!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/uw4tP2]WP_20150611_006[/url] by Nathan Peel, on Flickr

Pictures a bit rubbish, but you get the idea. Next upgrades for this will probably be some new forks (thinking 26″ fox’s, not opposed to something a bit different like the formula 33s though) carbon Ritchey post and some race wheels (light bicycle rims on something like Mack hubs I think.) Might even change to 11s XTR at some point as well.

For the level you’ll be starting at (Sport category racing, mid-field with hopes of more?) I’d add some gears (the 6 or 7 you can cram on a Hope SS hub is probably enough) and leave it at that. It’s not a race bike but it’ll do as well as the lump on top can. If you enjoy it, start getting top 5 results, decide you want to keep racing next year and so on then I’d start from scratch with a different bike in the spring.

Scott scales will probably start being discounted about now, seem to remember I bought mine in sept for a decent price. Probably one of the best off the peg racers you can get at whatever you budget is. Flog the current bike.

I got on the podium at the nationals (sport) and won a regional series and champs (vets) last year on a bike not much lighter than that last year.
You’ll be fine.

FWIW I race on a steel frame as well and that comes out as around 10.5kg (~23lbs in archaic units) and I reckon I can get it below 10kg with some careful purchases.

Of course you can. You’re giving away 3lbs to the lightest frame, but you could go sub-18lbs if you wanted.

I’m not sure how affordable that would be though!